Press for tennis and like racquets



June 13, 1933. F, GATES 1,914,086

PRESS FOR TENNIS AND LIKE RACQUETS Filed July 16, 1951 2 3 FesoEQ P 7 TE 5 Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES v FREDERICK PATON GATES, OF BRIXTON, LoNDoN ENGLAND PRESS FOR TENNIS AND LIKE RACQUETS Application filed July 16, 1931, Serial No. 551,229, and in Great Britain July 26, 1930. v v} I r This invention relates to presses for tennis and like racquets and concerns a press wherein the opposed press members between which the racquet is to be clamped, are drawn to- 5 gether by means of levers provided on one of the said members, said levers having their outer ends engaged with posts, links or the like or being equivalently connected to the opposed clamping members and means being provided for exerting a downward pressure on the inner ends of said levers, to produce upward movement of their outer ends and consequent drawing together of the opposed members by the movement imparted to the posts, links or equivalent con necting devices.

The present invention provides a press for tennis and llke racquets wherein each of the press members comprises a frame-like structure, two or more of the frame portions of the upper structure embodying a pair of spaced-apart parallel portions having levers engaging posts or links upstanding from the lower press frame portions, and operating means adapted toexert a downward pressure on the levers to rock the latter and cause the press members to be drawn together.

To reduce the amount of movement required to be imparted to the inner ends of the levers to produce a given movement of their outer ends, the fulcrum points of the levers are disposed in the proximity of the center of the length of the levers, and the operating means is located within the enclosed area of the press. members and is adapted to simultaneously operate the posts or links associated with the frame members.

For a ready understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the-following description and accompanying sheet of drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a press. constructed in accordance with the invention,

, certain parts of the press being omitted for clearness.

the outer ends of the levers 9 housed in the in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View, taken on line mm of Figure 1 with arms ,9 in ,ele-* Vation. m

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional viewtaken on line f/fl/ Of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing a slight modification thereof. Like numerals of reference indicatecor responding parts in the several figures.

In carrying out the invention, and referring to the. drawing, the upper press member consists of a quadrilateral frame com-v prising two space'd-apart parallel portions constituted by box-like members 1, 1 braced together at their ends by horizontally dis: posed stays 2, whilst the lower press member consists of a quadrilateral frame comprising two spaced-apart parallel portions constituted by inverted trough-like members 3. r V In the ends of each inverted trough-like member 3 there is fixedly secured a post 4 which upstands therefrom and freely ex tends through the bottom wall 5 ofthe boxmember '1 thereabove, springs 6, which en-' circle the posts 4, normally maintaining the 9 press members pressed apart from one am other. p v I The posts 4 terminate in inwardly facing hook-ends '7 in which engage fingers 8 on box-like members 1, '1', saidflevers 9, on

their undersides, being each'bevelled in'opposite directions to form a fulcrum point 10, which is disposed approximately'cen trally in the length of the lever and engages and is slidable on the'bottom wall 50f its box-member 1, '1," the inner ends of the levers 9 overlapping one another, as shown An operating memberis' provided on the top memberf'of" the press, said operating member consisting of a'handle 11 of archlike form, the ends of which'are pivotally mountedin the side walls of the box-mem-- hers 1, 1, the said ends being formed with" 9 cranks 12, cams or the like, adapted to bear on the inner ends of the levers 9.

The handle 11 is adapted to be swung through about 180 degrees and in so doing the cranked or cam portions 12 thereof will impart a downward movement to the inner ends of the levers 9 to rock the latter and cause the press members, through the posts 4, to be drawn together.

The degree of movement which the handle 11 is allowed is governed by the stays 2 which connect together the parallel portions or box-members 1, 1 of the upper press member and against which said handle 11 is adapted to bear in its respective pressure-applying and released positions.

The parallel portions of both the upper press member and the lower press member are of unequal length so that when the paraL lel portions of each press member are stayed together, the said press members constitute quadrilateral structure of symmetrical trapezoidal formation.

' Referring now to the arrangement of press shown in Figure 4, the construction of the upper and lower press members is similar in all respects to that previously described, two variations are shown. Firstly, the levers 9 of the upper press member are made shorter in length and their inner ends are pivotally connected together by a bridge piece 13 on which the cranked portion 12 of the operating handle 11 is adapted to bear. Secondly, the fulcrum point for each lever 9 is constituted by a stud 14L upstanding from the bottom walls 5 of the box members 1, 1, said studs engaging the undersides of the levers 9 and centrally in the length of the levers. It is to be understood that either of these variations may be substituted for the equivalents shown in the first described arrangement.

LA press for tennis racquets comprising v upper and lower quadrilateral frames, posts at the four corners of the lower frame extending loosely through the upper frame, yieldable means urging the frames apart, a pair of substantially alined levers at each of two opposite sides of the upper frame,

each lever at its outer end engaging a related post andat an intermediate point being fulcrumed on the upper frame, an operating member pivoted at its ends in the sides of the upper frame on which said levers are fulcrumed, and a pair of cam. formations on said operating member each cooperatinglwith the inner ends of a pair of said levers to swing them downwardly thus to draw the frames together into clampmg engagement with a racquet disposed therebe'tween by swinging movement of the operating member. 2. press for tennis racquets as set forth 1n cla m 1 1n which the inner end of one of the levers of each pair overlaps the inner end of the companion lever, and in which the cam formations of the operating member respectively engage the inner ends of the FREDERICK PATON GATES. 

